When you think of simple, hardy 100cc commuter motorcycles, the Hero Splendor comes to mind almost immediately. However, while the Splendor is the best-seller, its sibling, the HF is actually the better deal for it is mechanically very similar but comes in at a lower price. Here, we’ll break down how the six variants of the HF differ from each other.
Do bear in mind that at this end of the market, the price and equipment separations between the variants are quite small and the basic overall package is largely the same across all variants.
All prices ex-showroom, Delhi
Hero HF variant breakdown
Deluxe all-black
Strangely enough, the Deluxe all-black variant is the most affordable Hero HF one can buy - not the base 100. The 97.2cc sloper mill rated for 8hp/8.05Nm of torque and the 4-speed gearbox as well as the rest of the chassis remains by and large constant across all the six variants. This variant doesn’t come with a self-starter and uses a good, old-fashioned kick starter.
All of the Deluxe variants come with tubeless tyres and a larger 9.6 litre fuel tank (the base 100 gets a smaller 9.1 litre unit). As the name suggests, this variant can be had only in black and at Rs 57,657 is the most affordable Hero motorcycle on sale currently.
100
The simplest variant in terms of equipment levels is the HF 100 which comes with tubed tyres and a smaller 9.1 litre fuel tank. In most other ways, it is identical to the other variants in the lineup. Perplexingly, at Rs 59,839, this variant isn’t the most affordable one in the HF lineup even though it is the simplest. It is available in two colours - black/blue and black/red.
Deluxe kick
This variant of the HF is very similar to the HF Deluxe all-black except here you get a wider colour palette to choose from. Four colours are available - black/silver, black/blue, black/red and red/silver and this variant costs Rs 61,457.
Deluxe self
From this variant onwards, you get a self-start in addition to the kickstarter. The mechanicals as well as the colour palette are identical to the variant above it. At Rs 66,664, this variant costs Rs 5,000 more than the one below it, marking the biggest jump in price from one variant to the next.
Deluxe i3s
As the name suggests, this variant comes with Hero’s i3s stop/start technology. Its asking price is Rs 68,047, just Rs 1,500-odd rupees more than the variant below it to which it is largely the same.
Deluxe Pro
The range-topping variant in the HF lineup gets some feel-good features like an LED headlight and a colour LCD display with basic Bluetooth connectivity. It is available in four dual-tone shades - black/silver, black/red, black/blue and black/yellow, and costs Rs 70,150.